Though it says the horses were shot (which is outrageous in and of itself), I do believe they look slightly malnourished. It's hard to tell if they are emaciated, but you can clearly see their hindquarters have no muscle mass or fat, since the hip bones are sharp and jagged, at least in these photos.
Disturbing as the photos are, at least the horses are not suffering anymore. This is why serious action/change needs to happen regarding humane horse slaughter. I am an avid horse lover, and ride on a weekly basis. But to see a rise in neglected horses because of the ban on slaughter is just as bad as the slaughter itself. Really, it comes down to a lesser of two evils. I don't have a concrete solution to the problem, I don't think anyone really does at this point. But I do know that there needs to be some sort of change one way or another. The horror stories we hear like these, as well as those in which horses are packed like cargo onto trucks and shipped down south where they are undoubtedly faced with a horrifying death, need to stop.
My opinions on this carry into food production... but I will cease my rant before it goes on forever. Save something for my interviewers
